Is the End of Corporal Punishment on the Horizon for Texas?

There are currently 22 states in America that allow corporal punishment while the other 28 states have banned the practice at public schools. The state of Texas allows corporal punishment at public schools, however parents have the opportunity to opt out for their children in written form.

Education Secretary John B. King Jr. released a letter Tuesday urging school leaders and state governments to end practices incorporating corporal punishment. This falls within the lines of paddling, spanking or other forms of physical discipline, according to statelaws.findlaw.com.

King believes a more supportive disciplinary pattern is more beneficial to students with behavior problems. A study from the Education Department's Civil Rights Data Collection highlighted the fact that more than 110,000 students were subjected to physical punishment in the 2013-14 school year. Even more disconcerting is that there was an inordinate number of disabled and black students who were disciplined in this manner.

King told reporters in a conference call:

The practice has been clearly and repeatedly linked to negative health and academic outcomes for students. It is opposed by parent organizations, teachers unions, medical and mental health professionals and civil rights advocates as a wholly inappropriate means of school discipline.